Senator Casey continues town hall push to blast GOP health care bill

Sen. Bob Casey on Saturday continued his push to hold a series of town halls across the state to deliver his message excoriating Republican proposals for the repeal and replacement of former President Obama's signature health care bill - the Affordable Care Act.

The Democratic senator has been an outspoken critic of the Senate Republican bill, which was unveiled Thursday and is intended to repeal and replace the so-called Obama care. Casey has criticized the bill, saying it represents a tax cut for the rich at the expense of the poor and disabled.

Casey, who took his message to Harrisburg on Friday, when he spoke during a rally at the Capitol before an audience that included people with disabilities, has called the GOP proposal "obscene".

Casey said the bill would "decimate" the Medicaid program that, in addition to covering about 700,000 Pennsylvania residents who couldn't afford coverage prior to Obamacare, has long paid for items including nursing home care for seniors and medical care for the extremely poor and the disabled. He says those cuts would fund tax cuts for the very richest Americans, who he says don't even want the cuts, and would prefer to see a strong safety net.

Analysts warn that scrapping the Medicaid expansion would impact drug and alcohol treatment. About 124,000 people covered by the expansion have accessed such treatment. The cut would be especially damaging given the opioid addiction crisis, which is presently killing 13 Pennsylvania residents per day, according to Jennifer Smith, the acting secretary of drug and programs.

Casey, who took questions from the packed house, also addressed questions regarding gerrymandering.